Kristen James: Being happily married means ... bigger waistlines?

Kristen James

Age: 33

Family: Married with six kids, ages 9 to 17.

Occupation: Author, freelance writer and publisher

About: I'm a wife, mother and author, and I enjoy creative projects and outdoor activities. My husband and I each run our own business and love involving the kids. I worked with two of the kids on a children's book called "Even Animals Get Their Own Room," which they illustrated. My writing website is www.writerkristenjames.com.

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I was tickled the other day when I read an article called “Happy Marriage, Bigger Pants?” The first part of the article wasn’t too funny - it explained how people gain weight after marriage. Even worse, the happier the couple, the more weight they gained, the article said.

The part I found funny came toward the end:

“Researchers aren’t really quite sure just yet, but there are some theories brewing. Perhaps it’s because happy couples go out to eat and socialize more than unhappy couples. Perhaps it’s because couples spend more time in front of the TV, which promotes eating.”

Really? It just struck me as odd reasoning. I definitely agree that people seem to gain a little weight after they get married, but I think it’s due to having dinner together, among other things. I’d guess we all settle in a bit and relax. Life is better, brighter and we feel less stress.

That, and our husbands bring us chocolate and other treats.

(Could it possibly be that males instinctively fatten up their wives so other men won’t steal them? Yes, I think we should blame the men!)

A few pounds is not the end of the world, but of course we all want to be healthy.

Healthy eating has been on my mind a bit more with the coming of spring. Luckily, my family loves all kinds of salads, from chicken topped greens to shredded carrot salad. I have to pile on the extras, too, depending on the type: apple bits, raisins, crasins, walnuts, almonds, avocado, tomato, olives, and pretty much any healthy thing that sounds good.

My family is also a fishing family, and we love grilled or baked salmon and steelhead, salmon and avocado tacos, cod or rock fish tacos… actually, we love anything fish or seafood.

I also love easy-to-make meals, especially if we’re busy due to sports practice and games.

I thought I’d share a few healthy and easy ideas:

Bay Shrimp and Avocado

We actually stole this recipe from a riverside restaurant in Bend. It’s super easy. Cut an avocado in half, fill it with Bay Shrimp and top with Thousand Island Dressing. It goes well with a simple salad with the same dressing.

Zucchini Lasagna

I got this one from my sister Ann. Last year, she gave me a giant zucchini from her garden so I could try her idea. It works with any lasagna recipe. Simply switch the lasagna noodles for slices of cooked zucchini. I peel and slice them, then boil them for a few minutes before putting them in my lasagna, and smaller zucchinis work just as well. Everyone loved it. My husband even asks for this kind over the traditional noodles. And it’s gluten free! I can make one kind of lasagna for the entire family now. Even if gluten-free isn’t a concern, it still adds more vegetables while cutting calories.

Carrot and Raisin Salad

I’ve always hunted this one down at potlucks, but I hesitated to make it at home because the kids didn’t like crunchy carrots. However, I discovered they loved them this way! There are many variations out there, but a basic recipe is:

3 cups freshly grated carrots

1 cup raisins (or craisins)

1 large apple, cored and chopped

¼ to ½ cup mayonnaise

This is so healthy while tasting sweet. I’ve even made it without the mayonnaise for myself.